HALO: Beyond Sol
by Arm Chair General
Summary: When a stricken Republic cruiser drifts close to the UEG border, what was supposed to be a simple act of border security thrusts the United Earth Government into a civil war in a galaxy far, far, away... Rated M for war violence and foul launguage. Reader discretion is advised.
1. Chapter 1

A beautiful sunset set this day apart from all else, a pure glory of natural brilliance, until one sees that it is the dead of night. Massive pillars of flames leapt from the melted remains of massive columns as towers of smoke billowed from the epicenter, a grand temple reduced to a storm of bloodshed and death. One being stares at the image blurred by tears as she cringes in a gutter, hoping to not be found by the murderous betrayers sent upon her and her family, wondering only why. Why?

**Recon Satellite 34543 **_**Eagle Eye**_

**Edge of UEG Space**

**January 25 2234 **

**14:35 Standard UNSC Military Time**

The majestic blackness of space; lonely, foreboding, and incredibly dull. The ever present boredom of the monotonous work of monitoring the border of UNSC space would drive a human team insane. Thus, this lofty duty was given to monitoring satellites like _Eagle Eye_. Using slip space sensors, cameras, thermal imaging, electronic and radiation detectors, and radio receivers, relaying a constant stream of information back to the Office of Naval Intelligence. As the brilliance of deep space floated by, _Eagle Eye_ took no pleasure in the view. It merely kept performing its scans as instructed three years ago. While remotely intelligent and aware of its mission, it lacked all but one emotion, curiosity, grown from years of solo operations. So when a radio sweep detected a transmission, the satellite took immediate interest. It returned to the frequency and began recording. The message was layered in static but _Eagle Eye_ blocked it out as the message continued, now audible.

"_I repeat, this is the cruiser Redemption to all friendly forces, have been boarded by unknown an enemy and_ _need assistance repeat need assi-." _The message ended abruptly. The satellite replayed the recording once, comparing it to all known UNSC naval frequencies and ship designations, coming up blank. _Eagle Eye_ immediately sent the message to ONI while tagging the source with an infrared beam.

**Destroyer **_**Patton **_**(DD-76)**

**5****th**** Fleet**

**Orbital Repair Dock **_**Chesapeake Bay**_

**Reach Orbit**

**12:23 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Captain Arthur Wheeler stared down at the vibrant world that was Reach, the blue and white sky that withheld the glory of human endeavor. Reach was reduced to ash, glass, and flame, the third circle of hell in every sense of the term. Millions died under the Covenant onslaught but humanity's stubbornness reclaimed the tranquility and made heaven out of hell. 40 years of terraforming rebuilt the planet to its former glory. Reach once again was the center of UNSC military power and home to the 5th and 2nd fleets. As the last bit of scaffolding retreated back towards the station, tugs moved into position to guide the large warship out of the docking station. The destroyer had been caught in a meteor shower on a previous patrol and had to replace a broken transmitter and dented plates. The beeping of the ship's transmission beacon interrupted Wheeler's mental history lesson. "Sir," Lieutenant Jack Hafflax reported from his communications terminal. "Admiral Fernson on the horn." Wheeler turned to the comm screen "Patch him through."

"Yes sir" was the automatic reply. The screen lit up, displaying the image of a frigate ringed by stars with the UNSC Eagle in the background and the words "5th Fleet, This we shall defend." Admiral Fernson appeared and Wheeler snapped to attention, saluting along with his bridge crew.

"Wheeler, you never change do you?" the Admiral commented in his gravelly voice, returning the salute.

"No sir," Wheeler replied. "Straight, trim, and never dim."

Admiral Fernson smirked, recognizing the "official" captain's motto. "Damn straight, now, down to business. One of our recon satellites detected a ship of unknown origin. We have already sent Laser Graphic Images and its location to your A.I. I need you to check it out. We may be dealing with a first contact scenario, but it could be Covenant stragglers, so don't dive in head first. We have two frigates being rerouted from a festival at Harvest but it will take them some time to rendezvous. If you run into trouble, call it in immediately, the nearest taskforce is refueling at Arcadia, but they are ordered to drop everything in the event this thing escalates. "

"Understood sir," Wheeler replied, saluting again. "Consider it done" The screen blinked to black and Wheeler turned to the holographic display. "Patton? What do you have for me?" The display flashed on and a General, chest full of medals, ivory pistols swinging from his hips, materialized.

"It is difficult to decipher, it looks triangular but it has four other shapes connected to it, all different, it doesn't match any silhouette on record."

Wheeler rubbed his chin. "Well, let's go say hello" Patton saluted, nodding. "No holding action sir? Excellent!"

**Wild Space**

**Republic Cruiser **_**Redemption**_

**12:24 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Another explosion rocked the ship, throwing Ashoka to the ground. Picking herself up from the deck, she turned to face the captain. "Report!"

"More boarding craft sir," the Captain replied. "That makes twelve so far, they just keep coming!" _Redemption_ had been on a routine patrol when she detected a distress call. Jumping to the scene, she was greeted with a flotilla of raid ships and the floating remains of a cargo vessel. Before _Redemption_ had a chance to activate her shields, she was swarmed with boarding craft.

Now, the ship was falling, the clones were simply overwhelmed. As these thoughts passed through her mind the sealed door to the bridge was glowing red, smoking. The bridge guards readied their rifles, pointing at the door. The captain drew his sidearm, clicking the power lever forward. Ashoka drew her lightsabers which flashed into brilliant green beams. The sounds of the arch welders cutting through faded into silence. The troopers steadied their stance. With a massive boom, the door blew open, shrapnel removing the leg of a bridge officer, who screamed in pain. The clones opened fire into the smoke, blue bolts casting shadows as they crashed into the forms behind. Grunts and screams filled the air as multiple Trandoshans were cut down. The remaining slavers returned fire, particles filling the air.

Two troopers fell, chests smoking, one more fell to one knee as he took multiple rounds to the leg. Then face. The captain pointed his pistol and blew the face off the lead Trandoshan, then the next. Another trooper fell, and a member of the bridge crew grabbed his rifle, firing a burst before he too was killed. Ashoka deflected as much as she could but the corridor was filled with particles and lasers. Piercing pain burst from her shoulder and knee and she staggered. The barrier she was creating removed, the last remaining bridge crew officers were cut down. The captain steadied her and led her to the front of the bridge, where consoles sparked and smoked. Three troopers had found cover and were making a stand. Joining them, Ashoka and the captain beat back the slavers. Then, a massive form lumbered through the door. The troopers opened fire but the lasers bounced off. The hulking Trandoshan was clad head to toe in armor of an unknown metal, carrying a heavy repeater. The Trandoshan fired.

A thick stream of lasers spewed from the massive weapon, engulfing a trooper. The smell of melted plastoid filled the air and the clone ceased to exist. His comrades began to retreat, but they met the same fate. The Trandoshan then dropped its weapon, and reached for the blade on its back. With a screech, the pitted sword slid from its sheath. Lumbering forward at a surprising pace, it swung its blade. Ashoka reflexively blocked and the blades met. The sword won. Lightsaber flung from her hand, Ashoka fell to the ground as a blue bolt seared over her head. The Trandoshan reeled back with a cry, face plate smoking. The captain fired again, point blank. Stepping back, the monster ripped off its mask, and charged forward, blade first. The captain let out a scream, impaled in the chest, red blood dripping to the deck. With a massive claw, the Trandoshan slid the captain off his blade, turning to face Ashoka. Grinning, it produced a net tossing it over her. Ashoka struggled, but the heavy net kept her pinned. Pressing a button on his gauntlet, the Trandoshan laughed as electricity coursed through the net. Ashoka screamed in pain, then silence.

**UEG Border**

**Destroyer **_**Patton**_** (DD-76)**

**13:04 Standard UNSC Military Time**

_Well, that answers question number one_, Wheeler thought, as he looked out at the patch of space below. The unknown ship was clearly boarded by a gaggle of vessels, like a mother frog carrying her babies.

"Give me a zoom on that tower structure," Wheeler ordered. The image zoomed in as the camera focused on the tower. The captain could tell it was a mess, even though Wheeler had never seen a ship of this type before. Fire gushed out of holes, thus showing that whatever occupied the vessel breathed a flammable gas. "Send the transmission; let them know we're here." The communications officer nodded and sent out a ping. The motley gaggle of ships immediately turned towards them. "Remove locks on archer pods A through D and one of our Excalibur nukes, MAC gun to be heated to 96%" The bridge crew nodded, and the clacking of keys filled the air.

"Sir," Patton materialized from his podium arms clasped behind his back. "Our hail has been answered"

"Put it on screen" The screen lit up to reveal a reptilian creature with a squat face and large nose and mouth. _Ugly SOB aren't ya? _Wheeler noted in shock as he addressed the, the thing. "You are within the boundaries of the United Earth Government without previous warning, state your business," Wheeler ordered sharply. The thing looked at him in silence. "I repeat, state your business or we will fire on you, this is your final warning, exit the system, acknowledge, or be destroyed." Finally, the thing began to speak in a deep, gravelly voice.

"You have just secured your own doom and my increase in profits, your crew will make a fine addition to my stock, I look forward to seeing you soon, in chains!" The screen winked off, the transmission ended. Wheeler beat down his shock at both the creature's ability to speak English and the fact that a new race was discovered, and wanted to kill them. _The more things change_

"Sir! The enemy ships are firing!" Patton reported.

"Get me a firing solution for the MAC and lock on to those Sons-a-bitches!" Wheeler ordered

"Impact in ten!" Navigations Officer George Pruit announced. "Eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, impact!" There was barely a shiver in the coffee mug on Pruit's desk.

"Damage?" Wheeler ordered, confused by the anticlimactic show of force.

"Minimal sir, hull is at 98% around impact area, no breeches, impact was centered on section F-3 through G-7, no casualties. The crystalline layer took most of the blow." Engineering Officer Laura Nandian replied

"Let's hit them back then, open fire." The ship shuddered as the MAC gun unleashed its 600-ton projectile at 30,000 meters per second. Archer Mark VIII missiles flew from their tubes on pillars of fire, their 600 pound armor piercing warheads leading the way. The MAC round struck the lead ship on the nose at a 75 degree angle, punching through the forward decks before exiting out the bottom and glancing the ship next to it. The second ship spun wildly, venting atmosphere, as the first ship tore in half amid-ship. The Archers punched through the thin armor of four more of the strange ships, explosions mushrooming from deep within.

"The enemy is retiring sir," Pruit announced. "Shall we resume firing?"

"Sir, the frigates _Okinawa _and _St. Lo _are coming on station." Patton announced, excited by the combat.

"Hold fire until those frigates arrive; let's see what these bastards do then." Wheeler ordered, a slight frown on his face. _This was way too easy, how could such a large vessel fall prey to such inadequate firepower? _

**UEG Border**

**Trandoshan slave ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

"**Cargo" Hold**

**13:13 UNSC Standard Military Time**

Ashoka's eyes fluttered open, revealing a dank, dark room. She snapped up quickly, wincing as she tugged her injured shoulder. Focusing, a nervous breath indicated she was not alone. Turning her head, she spotted two Twi'lek girls huddled together in a corner. A human female sat alone in the center, head in her hands. Both were dressed in rags and looked underfed. One Twi'lek had a scar along her left cheek, the white line contrasting on her blue skin. Ashoka reached out towards the human.

"Are you alright?" When Ashoka's fingers brushed against her arm, the woman leapt back, cowering away.

"Don't hurt me, please!" Ashoka felt her heart break.

"It's okay, I'm a Jedi, let me help."

One of the Twi'leks spoke up. "Bu-but you have been captured yes? It's no okay."

"Don't worry, I can get us out." The three other women said nothing, but all retreated as far against the wall as possible, eyes wide with fear. Ashoka turned her head only to be greeted with a massive fist. Her head slammed into the floor, opening a cut on her brow. The world began to spin, growing fuzzy. A large claw wrapped around her neck and she was lifted upward.

"What's this about escaping?" a gravelly voiced answered in the dark outside the cell. Ashoka gasped for breath, clawing uselessly at the hand that had her neck in a vice. A fat Trandoshan walked into view, whip dragging behind him. The human yelped and began to frantically back towards the wall trying to climb its slick, grimy surface. The fat Trandoshan chuckled at the sight before lashing out with the whip. It skated across the woman's rag, opening the front and drawing blood along her stomach. The woman doubled over, screaming. "No one escapes my ship, not even the likes of you." He motioned for the large Trandoshan to lower her. Glaring, Ashoka spit in his face, causing the Trandoshan to reel back. With a snarl, he back-handed Ashoka across the face before snapping a large metal collar around her neck. Ashoka summoned the Force, feeling it pulse around her, she charged up a force push, but just as she was to focus it into a wall of energy, the collar let loose a bolt of electricity, arcing across her body, and that of the other women. Screams filled the hold.

**UNSC Destroyer **_**Patton**_** (DD-76)**

**UEG Border Space**

**13:23 Standard Military Time**

Captain Arthur Wheeler scanned the holographic display projected from the arm if his chair. The two frigates were displayed, highlighted in blue; the four remaining enemy ships were appropriately colored red and were clustered around the enemy's largest ship. The boarded ship was highlighted green where it slowly drifted away from the standoff. So far, neither side had made a move, waiting for the other to take action. "Any response to our hails?"

Hafflax shook his head as he sent yet another attempt to reestablish contact with the vessels. "No sir, they seem to be content just giving us the finger."

Wheeler rubbed the back of his neck. "What about our scans of the boarded vessel?" Patton materialized on his holo-display, arms folded behind his back.

"Scans show numerous life signatures, but deep penetrating SONAR shows it is the same specimens as the ones that are on the enemy vessel. There are bodies, but no hold outs."

"Right, tell the _St. Lo _to deploy a combat team to sweep and secure that ship. EMP the other vessels, we are going to take them by force, the big one first."


	2. Chapter 2

**Boarding Craft Type 43 "Leech"**

**3400 Meters from Unknown Vessel **_**Redemption**_

**13:45 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Corporal Jacob Meverston shifted nervously in his bucket seat, straining the straps as the boarding craft pushed on towards the unknown vessel. Well, unknown but not unnamed. The ship was evidently called the _Redemption_, but as far as what its mission was, any guess was as good as any.

"Don't tell me you're nervous Mev." Sergeant Hankston chuckled as his placed his MA6C Assault rifle between his legs, butt down.

"He's just worried about bein stuck with your ass on this tub for 10 more minutes sir." Private Nichols Greene quipped, copying his sergeant's actions with his rifle. The pilot's voice crackled over the intercom in the crew bay, his laugh sounding tinny. Chuckles sounded amongst the 15 men in the bay, though the tension was prevalent. The aftermath of the last first contact that happened was still deep in the minds of everyone.

"20 seconds gentlemen." The pilot's voice returned as a red light in the crew bay snapped on.

"Alright, you all know the game, we clear each of our sectors one at a time." A map of the vessel appeared from the gauntlet of the Sergeant's wrist, the sectors that the squad had to clear were illuminated in green, hazardous areas were in red.

"10 seconds boys, brace." The men hunched in towards there straps when they were all thrown forward. The sound of sizzling metal was barely audible as the boarding ship cut its way into the hull. The red light flashed twice.

"Double flash, stand to." The men unlocked there harness and stood single file facing the door. "Weapons check." The bay filled with clicks and clacks as weapons were primed. "Sound off." Harkston turned to face the line of men.

"15 okay."

"14 okay."

"13 okay." The men counted off until it reached the front.

"One okay!" Harkston turned as a loud clank radiated through the boarding craft. The door divided down the middle as the light changed to green. The men braced their feet, ready to charge out.

"Welcome aboard marines, good hunting!" the pilot bid farewell as the ramp fell to the ground. With a loud "ooh-rah!" the men ran into the ship, rifles raised. Each man fell into a choreographed dance as they formed a semicircle around the craft. The ramp raised itself up and sealed with a hiss.

"Move out!" Harkston ordered. The men fell into groups of three, scanning left and right. Meverston fell in line with corporal Swift and Sergeant Harkston, bringing up the rear. The men passed down a white corridor, then another, and another. They finally reached a sealed door, lights on the panel glowing red. "Prepare to breach, stack up." Harkston ordered, procuring a hacking box from his belt and slapped it onto the panel. Swift and Meverston placed their backs against the wall, each on one side of the door.

"Three, two, one, breaching!" Meverston counted and pushed the red button on the box. The panel lit up green and the door slid open. Immediately, yellow particles filled the doorway, and Hankston slammed his back on the wall, dodging the rounds. Swift yanked a grenade from his belt, pulled the pin, and chucked it through the doorway.

"Frag out!" he yelled. With a muffled whump followed by screams, the marines swung into the doorway, charging through it. Bodies littered the floor, some wearing strange, white full body armor over humanoid forms, others more reptilian like and in patched metal plates. Seven had been ripped apart; another clutched the stump of an arm, yelling in pain. Others were in shock, struggling to rise or orient themselves. The marines didn't given them a chance, mowing down the creatures methodically before pushing on towards the bridge.

"_This is Fire Team Omega, have encountered hostile forces and have eliminated them, 6 tangos confirmed dead, three retreating." _Captain Donnovan's voice crackled through the marines' helmet mounted radios.

"Copy Omega, this is Bravo, have encountered hostile forces as well, no casualties have been sustained." Harkston notified over the mike.

"_Confirmed Bravo, continue towards the bridge."_

"Understood." The marines continued forward, single file, rifles constantly sweeping the area.

"Who do you think these people are? I mean, why would the lizard guys be trying to kill the white guys?" Swift asked they passed a row of white armored corpses.

"Racial supremacy?" Meverston suggested as Harkston double checked his map.

"Screw you Mev, this is serious, I mean, what if we get dragged into a war, then what?" Swift toed a lizard corpse as the squad reached another closed door.

"We're marines, we don't get paid to discuss political theory, we get paid to eat, sleep, kill and repeat." Harkston chastised as he punched a random button which caused the door to slide open with a slight swish.

"I feel bad for the ODSTs, they have to take that big fucker, it's probably crawling with these freaks." Meverston commented as he followed the group through the door.

"_This is Echo, multiple hostiles engaged, one man is down, we're being overwhelmed!" _

"_This Delta, we're inbound to your location, sit tight!" _

"Shit, that was Donovan." Harkston muttered.

"SOB always did get the most action." Maverston muttered.

"_Omega, this Alpha, have you reached the bridge?" _

Harkston clicked his mike. "Not yet sir, lotta debris in the way, we should arrive shortly."

"_Understood, notify me when you have successfully hacked their systems." _

"Yes sir, can do."

"_Alpha out."_

**UNSC Frigate **_**Okinawa **_**(FG-244)**

**200 Meters from Disabled Suspected Enemy Command Ship**

**13:52 UNSC Standard Military Time**

Corporal Jack Freely shifted his feet against the floor of the High Velocity Boarding System "Parasite," tapping the M7 Case less Sub-Machine Gun with a gloved hand. "_40 seconds boys, check systems." _The drop master's voice filtered through the intercom of the one man pod. Jack tapped a few buttons and a schematic of the pod was projected over the inner-wall casing. The pod had no windows, but images were projected from the shock-resistant cameras that gave a panoramic view as if the pod DID have a window. _Everything's green, unless the system scanner is malfunctioning._

"Twelve okay!" Freely commed the drop master as he checked to make sure his restraints were secure.

"_Copy, 10 seconds till launch." _Jack counted down in his head, when he reached five the pod rocketed out of its tube, aiming straight for the largest hostile vessel. _I just hope this thing stays in one piece _

"_Alright troopers, when we hit the ship, link up in the cargo hold, we then search that tub top to bottom and kill anything that lifts a finger to attack us, got it?" _Captain Buck asked, his harsh voice echoing in Jack's pod. "Oorah!" The eleven other ODSTs roared in reply.

"_Good, I'll see you on board, god speed!"_

"**Cargo Hold"**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**14:03 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Ashoka awoke on the floor of her cell for the second time today, head swimming. "You okay?" the same Twi'lek girl who doubted there chance of escape asked.

"Been better to be honest." Ashoka said with a slight grin. The girl just stared, not finding the comment remotely funny.

"Hungry?" the other asked, pointing to a roughly carved wooden bowl full of a gray paste.

"Did you already eat?" the two girls shook their head in unison, the lekku swaying slightly. "You go ahead, I'm fine." Ahsoka lied as she felt the hunger tightly grip her stomach. The pair quickly dived in, each taking a piece roughly a fourth of the amount. The human woman was back in her corner, rocking herself and muttering. "You hungry miss?" Ahsoka asked, offering the bowl. The woman looked at her with mistrust. Ashoka dipped a finger a scooped a small glob, popping it into her mouth. It was tasteless and she did her best not to grimace. Apparently convinced the woman took her share. The four ate in silence, not really looking at each other. "I'm Ashoka; may I have your names?" Ashoka asked her cell mates.

The doubtful girl raised her hand slightly "Moyla, my sister Nadya." She indicated the other Twi'lek.

"You?" Ashoka asked the woman.

"Faline." Was her quick reply, eyes staring at the floor/

"Nice to meet you all, kinda wished our circumstances were different though."

Moyla giggled slightly "Me do too." The ship suddenly lurched and the sisters clung to each other. The woman tightened into a ball and screamed.

"It's okay, we're gonna be okay!" Ashoka tried to calm the three, grabbing Nadya's shoulder. "We'll be okay."


	3. Chapter 3

**Boarding Site**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**14:05 Standard UNSC Military Time**

_Not the worst landing I've ever had. _Freely lamented as he hung upside down in his pod. _Not the best one either. _Freely hit the emergency release on his restraints and he tumbled into the wall of the pod. Seven curious lizard aliens had gathered around the strange object, all of them aiming their weapons. "Well shit," Freely muttered as he grabbed his SMG from its port and readied a magazine. Punching the release code, the bulkhead blasted off the pod, careening into two of the green skinned creatures. Freely dropped to the floor, landing on his back, legs pointed towards the remaining lizards. Raising his weapon, he hosed the aliens with fire, the .197 caliber full metal jacket rounds punching through face masks and slicing necks before the gun clicked empty. Four of the creatures fell down in a pool of their own blood as Freely yanked his M6H Magnum from the magnetic plate on his thigh. Firing one handed, he downed the last creature with five 12.7mm magnum rounds. Climbing to his feet Freely saw four more of the aliens rounding a corner, glancing back in fear. Spotting the lone ODST they stopped in surprise and were immediately shot in the back with the rattling roar of a M739 SAW. Three more ODSTs rounded the corner. One was obviously a corpsman, the red cross evident on his helmet. Captain buck was with them as well, his red trimmed armor easy to remember. "It's about time; I've had to clear this ship by myself!" Freely said, a helmet concealed grin on his face.

The SAW gunner, Private Max Dominguez, laughed as he deftly replaced the drum magazine of the large weapon. "I was afraid of that, wouldn't have wanted you to chip a nail."

Freely scoffed, slapping a new magazine into his SMG. "You're just jealous because the ladies love my soft hands."

"Cut the chatter troopers, we still got a ship to take." Captain Buck reprimanded with a growl. "Get moving and check your corners!" He waved the ODSTs forward and slotted another shell into his shotgun.

"Yes sir captain!" the other three barked and Freely reloaded his weapons, glanced back at the bodies of the fallen aliens, and took point.

**Bridge**

**Unknown Vessel **_**Redemption**_

**14:17 Standard UNSC Military Time**

"What the fuck is that smell?" Swift asked as he observed the carnage that was the bridge.

"Burned flesh, we've been smelling it on this tub since we boarded." Harkston reminded him as he checked the burning and fried consoles. After stepping over a pile of alien bodies the marines had entered the bridge, shocked at its devastation. "Hell of a last stand." Meverston slowly scanned forward and he caught sight of one of the bridge crew.

"Hey, hey! These guys are human!" Meverston said in shock, rushing to a body.

"WHAT?!" his squad mates yelled in surprise, also dashing forward. They looked at the scorched, bloodied bodies of human crew, all exactly identical down to the red jumpsuit.

"They're clones… How the fuck did this happen?" Harkston said, taking in the corpses. Meverston's brain raced a mile a minute.

_Clones, human fucking clones, holy shit! Holy fucking shit! _"Any of them still breathing?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"Nope, dead." Swift answered. He kicked one with a boot. "Yep, fucking dead." Harkston clicked on his mike.

"Alpha, this Omega, we got a situation!" he addressed the command squad on the direct link.

"_This is Alpha, go ahead."_

"Have reached bridge and located dead bridge crew. They're human clones."

"_Say again Omega, human clones?"_

"You heard me damn it, human goddamn clones!"

"_Understood Omega, Christ, uh, standby, continue with your mission."_

"Copy that, not sure we can salvage anything, place is pretty fried."

"I think it's pretty fucked Sarge, not gonna get shit here, everything is either on fire or was." Meverston added glumly as he searched for anything that worked.

"Alpha, data retrieval is not possible, nothing survived this assault." Harkston relayed as he pointed Meverston to watch the door.

"_Understood Omega, scan the bridge thoroughly with your helmet cams then proceed to a supposed data storage facility. Scanners are picking up alotta energy from there."_

"Confirmed it's not the ship's power plant Alpha?" Harkston asked as he slowly paced the room, carefully sweeping the bridge.

"_Confirmed, uploading coordinates now."_ Harkston's wrist mounted PDA flashed once slightly.

"Got it Alpha, will report soon." Harkston cut the mike. "Alright boys, we're off."

**Supposed Cafeteria**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**14:34 Standard UNSC Military Time**

"Get down!" Buck yelled as more particle rounds flew overhead. Freely tucked down behind the overturned table, reloading his SMG for the third time.

"Running kinda low here Cap!" Freely shouted to the captain. "We gotta slot these fuckers quick; we can't last in this kind of engagement!"

"Grenades on three!" Buck ordered, yanking two grenades from his belt, pulling their pins and clamping down the spoons. Freely, Dominguez, and their medic Cummings each readied a grenade as well. "Three two, one, Frag out!" Buck flung his grenades towards the lizards at the other end of the cafeteria where they had made a barricade out of tables and chairs. The other three ODSTs chucked their grenades as well as hunkered down. Five thunder claps rocked the room and screams of pain a surprise filled the air. "Advance!" Buck ordered, jumping over the table he had taken cover behind a blasted the face off an alien trying to regain its footing. Dominguez unloaded his SAW, gunning down two more and forcing the few remaining aliens to retreat.

"Where the fuck are the others?!" Dominguez asked Freely vaulted over the barricade and shot one the retreating lizards in the back.

"Two died on impact, the rest fucking missed!" Buck shouted back as the ODSTs charged after the retreating aliens.

"What do you mean missed?!" Freely yelled as he ducked behind a corner, particles filling the hallway. He wrapped his arms around the corner and blindly sprayed the hallway. Squeals sounded from the other side as his bullets hit one.

"I mean they overshot, the _Okinawa _is picking them up!" Buck answered as he slotted more shells into his shotgun.

"Jesus Christ! This is one Charlie Foxtrot!" Cummings complained as he put a burst in the last alien. The ship was suddenly quiet, save for the panting of the troopers. "Where the hell is the cargo bay anyway?"

"Through that door, reload and get ready to breach." Buck ordered. "Reload is you haven't already."

"Last mag guys." Dominguez said as he shoved his last drum into the bottom of his weapon.

"Stack up, we take this, we can ferry in more guys." Buck announced as he pressed his back against the wall.

"Assuming this thing has a hangar." Freely muttered as he stood at the opposite door.

"It does, don't worry your pretty little head." Dominguez said as he stood behind Buck.

Buck slapped on a hack box and pressed a button. The machine beeped three times then the door opened. Buck charged through the door, followed by the other troopers. "Clear!" buck shouted, scanning his sector. Cummings came in last, grabbing the hack box from the panel.

"Clear!"

"Clear!"

"Clear!" the others shouted back.

"Move in!" Buck ordered, taking point. They were in a hallway of empty cages, some covered in blood, all covered in grime.

"This some kind of prison ship?" Freely asked as the ODSTs slowly stalked forward.

"I don't know man, its fuckin creepy that's what it is." Cummings muttered back. They approached another door.

"Positions!" Buck ordered and again the ODSTs stacked up on the door. Cummings tossed Buck the hack box and the captain slammed it on the panel. Again the box beeped three times before opening the door. "Breaching!" Buck yelled charging through.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" Freely yelled, and then the shooting began.


	4. Chapter 4

"**Cargo Hold"**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**14:55 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Ashoka and her cell mates reeled in shock when the door at the end of the small room suddenly burst open. Four armored beings rushed through the door, weapons raised as they ran headlong into the Trandoshan brute.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" One of the warriors yelled in alarm as he spotted the brute. He and his comrades opened fire on the monster Trandoshan, solid rounds pinging off the thick plates strapped to its body.

_Slug throwers?! Who uses slug throwers?_ Ashoka shouted in her mind as the armored figures' weapons barked and roared.

"Keep firing!" another of the armored figures shouted, his armor sporting red accents. The brute staggered back as the firing intensified, but when a series of clicks sounded from the unknown soldiers' weapons, the brute immediately charged forward with a roar. "Look out!" the red accented soldier shouted as they dived out of the way. One of them with a red symbol on its helmet yanked a magazine from a patch in its vest and slammed it into a port another magazine had fallen from. A soldier carrying the largest weapon was two slow and the brute grabbed him by the collar and threw him into the bulkhead. The snapping of bones was heard and he screamed in pain. Moyla screamed in horror, shutting her eyes as the sisters clung to each other. Faline tucked herself into a ball and shook with fear. Ahsoka ran to the cell door and shook it vigourisly. The door didn't budge and she growled in frustration.

"Come on you kriffing door, move!" Ashoka yelled, instinctevly reaching out to the force. The collars activated and the four prisioners collapsed in a symphony of screams.

"**Cargo Hold"**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**14:57 Standard UNSC Military Time.**

As Dominguez fell limp against the wall, Freely let out a curse as he shoved a new magazine into his SMG. The monster lizard charged at him again and he dived out of the way, Cummings pouring rounds into the giant's back. Again the rounds simply bounced off the pitted plates with a clatter. "Our weapons ain't doing shit!" Freely yelled to Buck as the monster charged at Cummings. The medic ducked a swipe and darted around the hulking lizard, retreating out of melee range. Buck pumped another shell into the chamber of his shotgun and fired again. The buck shot plowed into the shoulder plate of the beast and it flinched back. Buck fired again as the monster closed. Loud screams were suddenly heard and the ODSTs reflexively searched for a source. Taking advantage of Buck's distraction the monster grabbed him by the neck. Buck gasped for breath as his shotgun tumbled from his grip, hands now locking onto the lizard's wrist. Cummings raced forward, and slammed the butt of his rifle onto the back of the beasts neck. The improvised club glanced off the thick hide and Cummings was thrown back by a vicious backhand. Freely tossed his SMG away, yanked out his combat knife and leapt onto the monsters back.

He rammed his knife into the monster's unprotected neck, green blood gushing from the wound. Dropping the barely conscious Buck the monster lizard frantically tried to yank Freely off of him. Freely unhooked his sidearm from the side and emptied the clip into the back of the monster's head. Blood and gray matter splashed onto Freely's armor as the beast suddenly went limp, crashing to its knees before collapsing in a heap. Freely leapt ff the dead lizard's back and raced to Buck, who was struggling to stand.

"You alright captain?" he asked as he steadied his fellow soldier.

"Fine… fine. Get… Dominguez… now." Buck croaked as he took deep breaths. Freely looked for his buddy when he already saw Cummings checking the gunner's pulse, having yanked off Dominguez's helmet. The gunner coughed, blood sputtering from his lips.

"He's hurt pretty bad Captain, broken ribs, puncture lung, spine is pretty fucked up too."Cummings opened his medic bag and yanked out a canister of Biofoam and sharpette of Morphine. Plunging the Morphine needle into Dominguez's neck, the gunner relaxed, still laboring to breathe. Ripping off Dominguez's chest plate, he saw bloody holes where his rips had poked through the skin. Jamming the nozzle of the canister into a wound, pressed down the trigger. White antiseptic foam filled his chest cavity, stopping the bleeding. "He needs a surgeon fast!"

"I'm on it, Jack, search this place for any stragglers and put them down!" He clicked on his helmet mike. "Control this is Mace, we need medical EVAC ASAP, hangar bay is secured but you'll have to cut through the hull over!"

"_Copy Mace, boarding parties are on the way, ETA damn quick, hold on and good luck."_

**Armory**

**Unknown Vessel **_**Redemption**_

**15:03 Standard UNSC Military Time**

"It's official, military intelligence is a contradictory term!" Swift muttered as he surveyed the large room. Meverston found himself in agreement as they swept the room with their rifles.

"Looks like some kind of armory Sarge." Meverston noted, glancing at the slots in the walls, some holding the large black rifles the clones carried. The abundance of bodies showed how vigourously the clones had tried to defend this place. Swift picked up a small pistol like device from a table and pushed the trigger down experimentally. The weapon barked and a blue bolt of light flew out of the end and impacted a wall, scorching it black.

"Holy shit!" Swift yelled dropping the device.

"What the fuck were you trying to do?!" Harkston roared, yanking the marine away from the weapons.

"That explains why they picked up so much energy, probably powered by batteries." Meverston noted, examining a large box shaped device that was covered in glowing lights. He pulled on one and a small clip came out in his hands.

"Stop touching shit!" Harkston ordered, annoyed. "There should still be a terminal here that link into the ship, let's find it and get out of here!" Meverston put the clip on a table and began looking around. Meverston pointed towards a door leading to a countered kiosk. It was locked if the red lights indicated correctly. "Worth a shot, stack up for breach." The marines quietly placed their backs against the wall. Harkston placed his hacking box on the pad and counted down. "Three, two, one, breach!" He jammed down the box's only button and the door slid open, sending a clone body toppling down on Harkston. Weighed down the marine fell backwards as the Swift rushed in. Meverston yanked the body back and the two marines scrambled away from it, fearing a trap.

"Clear!" Swift yelled from inside the kiosk, looking through the window at his companions. "You guys ok?"

Harkston glanced down at his chest plate fearing acid, but was relieved to only find blood.

"We're good Swift, any terminals in there?" Meverston asked, glancing at the body, the armor having blue highlights. "This guy died fo-." A ragged breath suddenly came from the clone, cutting of Meverston.

"Holy shit, he's alive!" Swift exclaimed and he went for the door.

"Terminal, Swift, the terminal!" Harkston reminded the marine. "Mev, help me get some foam in him, get that armor off!" Meverston knelt down and grabbed the pitted, blackened chest plate of the armor. With a swift tug something snapped and the plate was wrenched free. A holed black body suit was revealed, and blood slowly oozed from a chest wound. Harkston dove his hand into the medpack secured on his lower back and grasped the familiar medal casing. Shoving the canister into a hole, he depressed the trigger. With a splurting sound the foam filled the cavity, sterilizing the wounds and stopping further bleeding. The clone took a less pained breath as the foam haphazardly patched his lung. Meverston jammed a morphine sharpette into the clone's chest and the wounded soldier relaxed.

" We're in business Sarge!" Swift notified, delighted this trip hadn't been for nought. Harkston tossed him a small cylinder. The other marine caught it and plunged in into the table. A row of status lights slowly lit up until a solid green bar indicated successful data extraction and duplication. "Good to go!" Swift told the others as he slotted the device into an empty ammo pouch on his vest.

"Good, help Mev get this guy ready to move." Harkston clicked on his helmet mike. "Alpha, this is Omega, data secured and have located clone survivor. Is heavily wounded and will require medical attention." Meverston stood from where he had scribbled notes on the clone's helmet indicating what field treatment had been given.

"_Excelent work Omega, return to boarding craft for immediate transport to the Paton, medical teams are on standby, try to keep the clone alive."_

"Understood, Omega out." Harkston replied.

"_This is Charlie, all hostiles neutralized, the ship is secured."_

"_Alpha copies all."_

"**Cargo Hold"**

**Trandoshan Slave Ship **_**Bone Crusher**_

**15:06 Standard UNSC Military Time**

_Fuck this fucking tub, _Freely muttered in his mind as he carefully searched yet another dark corner. Rows upon rows of empty cages greeted him until he finally reached the end. Then he stopped short. _The hell is that? _Slowly walking forward he noticed for figures prone on the ground. _These fuckers are slavers, good riddance!_ Two were aliens, there matching blue skin and head tails a dead giveaway despite their surprisingly human, feminine forms. Another alien was younger, whose head tails were white with blue stripes that contrasted greatly with its orange skin. It had some form of tribal markings in white on its face. Unlike the rags the other two wore, this one was wearing a tube top and skirt. _Probably a whore. _The fourth figure made him do a double take. All occupants were anatomically female, but this one was human. _Human, how the fuck can that be?! _"Captain, we have a situation!" Freely called through the squad's communication channel.

"_Go ahead corporal."_

"We got slaves sir, three aliens, one human. Better get the doc up here quick!" Freely reported, staring hard at the woman. She was barely over twenty, with red hair and a scarred face.

"_Say again Jack, human?"_

"Yes sir, human." Freely heard heavy footfalls as Cummings raced towards him, large medpack at the ready.

"Get this door open!" Cummings ordered. Freely put a bullet through the lock. The lock fell with a clang and the orange alien girl eye's snapped open. She leapt to her feet, facing the ODSTs with a determined look on her face. Cumming tried to step forward but she lashed out with frightening speed, catching him by the helmet with a booted foot. He recoiled back and held his hands up plantetively. Freely snapped his SMG up as the girl put herself between the troopers and her cellmates, who were beginning to stir. "Easy now, I'm just trying to help." She didn't looked convinced, tightening her stance. The two blue alines gasped and clung to each other, the woman backed up in fear. _Fuck, it's like Tribute all over again._

"Who are you?" the girl asked, stern and commanding. Freely and Cummings started as the girl spoke in English.

"You speak English?" Freely asked, an uneasy feeling rising in his stomach. _Impossible._

The girl looked at him in confusion. "You mean Basic, right?" Freely was about to correct her when Cummings cut him off.

"Yes, we meant Basic. We're ODSTs, I'm a medic, and I want to make sure you're not gonna die on us." He said matter-of-factly, pointing to the red cross on his helmet for emphasis.

"We're fine, and I've never heard of 'ODSTs' before." The girl said, eyeing them suspiciously.

"_Get them prepped for transport Doc, evac is cutting through now." _Buck's voice sounded over their helmet comms. A slight sizzling was heard and the girl's eyes looked frantically for the source.

"It's a boarding craft, one of ours, we're getting you off of this bucket." Freely said, growing exasperated with the whole mess. _I just wanna get this over with so I can sort this out._

"We leaving, really?" one of the blue aliens asked, incredulous. Jack nearly slapped his face in frustration. _Fucking civilians, fucking ALIEN civilians. _

"For fuck's sake yes, now let the doc take a look to see if you'll live!" Freely practically yelled, close to losing his patience, the flashback of the slaughter on Tribute not helping. The girl finally nodded and Cummings went to work, quickly and methodically cleaning wounds, cursing every time he found a lash from a whip or a brand. With a clatter a boarding ship broke through the shielded hangar door and a squad of marines stormed out and formed a semi-circle around the opening. Buck joined the other men as corspmen carried Dominguez onto the boarding craft.

"Mount up, we're getting outta here, get these civies on board, the captain of the _Patton _wants a word with you." The girl, her brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion, nodded and lead her group to the craft, earning odd looks from the marines.

_This is one huge cluster fuck._


	5. Chapter 5

**Republic Assault Ship **_**Leveler**_

**Hyper Space**

**Enroute to stricken cruiser **_**Redemption**_

**15:34 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Anakin Skywalker spun on his heel and paced to the opposite side of the bridge. Captain Pellaeon sighed inwardly as he tracked the young Jedi's movement across the bridge. He caught a couple of the clones glancing nervously at the general's behavior before returning to their tasks. _I'd be worried too if my charge had been lost in Wild Space._

"How much longer Captain?" Anakin asked, turning again to walk to center where he stood with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Fifteen standard units sir, we're making best possible speed." Pellaeon reminded the general as he saw the frown form.

"_Calm yourself Anakin, I'm sure that whatever Ashoka has encountered, she and Rex can handle. They did assist Pellaeon and she was in that ambush by Boba Fett." _Obi-wan Kenobi reminded, trying to calm his friend's thoughts.

"I know, I know, but what could take down a cruiser out here?" Anakin asked, anxiety not at all lessened. R2-D2 beeped a few times, offering his own opinion on the matter. "I don't think pirates have that kind of firepower buddy, sorry." The astromech beeped again in admittance of the impossibility of such an event then settled to just watching Anakin resume pacing, dome rotating slowly as he tracked the young man.

"_You're gonna put a trench in the deck at this rate Anakin, I suggest you meditate."_ Obi-wan suggested.

"I will alert you when we near the beacon sir, I'm sure _Leveler_ and her destroyer escorts can handle anything we find." Pellaeon added, hoping he could convince the Jedi to leave the bridge. As fine a leader as Anakin was, his lack of resolve wasn't helping the morale of the bridge crew, and if whatever had disabled Tano's ship was still there, he needed them as fit as can be.

"Alright," Anakin relented, shrugging his shoulders slightly. "But it's _exactly _when we exit Hyperspace and no later."

"Wouldn't dream of not being punctual sir, as you order." Pellaeon replied, earning a slight grin. Turning on a heel, Anakin left the bridge and headed to his quarters.

**Interrogation Room A-2**

**Destroyer **_**Patton**_** (DD-76)**

**15:34 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Ashoka looked at the small room she was seated in with concern. After having removed their collars, the medical staff had cleaned cuts, burned the three slave's rags, and made sure they all ate and showered. Once Ashoka had had her fill of a warm shower, she was given a clean robe and led here, where a large meal of what the lieutenant escorting her had called "eggs, bacon, and toast" was waiting with a tall glass of water with a pitcher. She had been left alone since and after having consumed her meal, she was frankly concerned she had traded one cell for another. Suddenly, the door opened with a slight hiss and in walked a younger man in a grey uniform with ribbons and a medal on his upper left chests as well as a type of pistol secured in a holster on his leg. Behind him were two of the so called "ODSTs" she had encountered on the slave ship. They were dressed in matte black armor with fingerless gloves and a helmet with an opaque visor through which she could not see their faces. One was carrying a rife with some type of scope on a rail while the other a small box.

"Hello miss, I trust your meal was satisfactory?" the uniformed man asked, sitting across from her.

"It was good, I've never had anything like it." Ashoka answered cautiously. The man smiled slightly.

"No, I figured you wouldn't have. Before we begin in earnest, we found a clone still alive onboard your vessel, he is being treated right now and we were hoping you could identify him so the medical team can assist him by name. We recovered his armor and his helmet." He motioned to the ODST holding the box and the soldier placed it on the table. Ashoka reached in and pulled out Rex's helmet.

"Thank the Force, it's Rex!" Ashoka cried in relief.

"Rex? That is the clone's name?" the man asked carefully.

"Yes, thank you for finding him!" Ashoka said, happily placing the helmet back in the box.

"You're welcome, but that's not the reason I called you here. Now then, what are you doing here on the border of United Earth Government space?"

"Why are you asking me, why single me out?" Ashoka asked, suspicion growing.

"We recovered files from your ship, _Redemption_, and found your dossier. You are Ashoka Tano correct?" the man replied calmly, pouring himself a glass from the half drained pitcher.

"Yeah, I'm Ashoka, how did you get the files, they were encrypted!" Ashoka was really getting concerned now. She had never heard of this "United Earth Government" and if they had never heard of Trandoshans then what else were they oblivious too?

"We're getting off topic, what was your mission here miss Tano?" the man politely steered the conversation back to his question.

"It's commander Tano, and who are you?" Ashoka replied.

"I'm Captain Wheeler, and you are aboard my ship, now what was your mission?" a slight edge had formed on Wheeler's voice, showing his waining patience.

"Like I would tell you, how do I know you're not CIS?" Ashoka answered sharply.

"CIS?" Wheeler responded, confused. "Who are the CIS?"

"How could you not know?! We're at war with them!" Ashoka too was getting annoyed.

"We didn't, and who is 'we'?"the captain replied, confusion heavy in his voice as well as frustration.

"The Republic!" Ashoka answered, her own frustration rising.

"Republic? We don't know who that is! Now tell me, why the hell were trying to enter UEG space!?" the captain practically roared, rising to his feet. Ashoka reached into the Force, reading his presence to see if the man was lying. What she found was shocking. Instead of a pulsing tendril of Force energy she found a blank gray space, still registering as a life force, but with no other presence besides. Not only the captain, she realized in shock, but every member of the ship's crew. "Commander Tano? Miss are you listening? Get a nurse, her face is losing color!" the captain sounded panicked now.

"You have no Force signature…" Ashoka whispered in shock.

"What?" the captain asked, relieved she wasn't suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder like the human woman they recovered.

"You have no Force signature!" Ashoka repeated, her voice rising in astonishment and fear.

"Force signature, what the- never mind that! Look, I need to know if you or this war you are in is a threat to my people. So I will ask again commander, why were you trying to enter UEG space?"

"We weren't trying to do anything to your space, the Republic does not know you exist!" Ashoka answered, annoyed by the constant questioning.

"Impossible, the UEG and the UNSC have been here for over a hundred years!" the captain replied, concern and confusion rapt in his voice.

"You didn't know about the Republic or the Confederacy of Independent Systems!" Ashoka shot back.

"But we, and you, son of a bitch! There was an entire civilization out there and we never knew about it!" Wheeler cried in exasperation. "This is big, very big, this is gonna change everything."

"Ok, can I ask you a question?" Ashoka asked tentivly.

"Sure, why not?" the captain replied, regaining his composure.

"What is the United Earth Government?"

"I'm not at liberty to say, any information has been classified by the UNSC to any unknown civilizations we encounter." The captain responded crisply as if he rehearsed it.

"UNSC?"

"United Nations Space Command, the military branch."

"Oh, so that's where this ship is from." Ashoka said, connecting the dots.

"Yes, our recon-." Another uniformed man rushed in, a pad in his hands.

"Captain, four ships just appeared on our sensors, they match the shape of the derelict!" the man who ran in reported, handing the pad to Wheeler.

"ETA?" Wheeler asked, rushing to his feet.

"Six minutes sir." The crewman replied, looking eager to get back to his post.

"Sound general quarters and heat up the MAC gun, tell the _St. Lo _and_ Okinawa _to stand off at 20,000 meters from our port and starboard side. Troopers, escort Commander Tano back to the medical ward. Do not let her speak to the clone until we contact the incoming vessels." Wheeler ordered, already racing to the door.

"Yes sir!" the rifle baring trooper replied and motioned for Ashoka to follow him. "Come with me ma'am."

**Republic Assault Ship **_**Leveler**_

**Last known position of the cruiser **_**Redemption**_

**16:10 Standard UNSC Military Time**

As the _Leveler_ slowed from Hyperspace, Anakin felt excitement and nervousness bubble up from where his meditation had forced it down. As the brilliant white and blue dissipated he was greeted with a sight that he had dreaded seeing. The _Redemption _was crippled, boarded, and abandoned. Attached to the cruiser was a number of boarding craft, their sources clearly Trandoshan raid ships. "Slavers." Anakin muttered as three other vessels immediately caught his attention. They were matte gray except for white letters that spelled out something not in Galactic Standard but old time Basic. Two of the smaller vessels were identical except for their markings, one was labeled _Okinawa_ and the other _St. Lo_. They're rectangular forms very utilitarian, the prow jutting out of a rectangle and four parallel spars from the rear, where engines pulsed. The middle ship was larger than the others, and was a consistent rectangular prism, lacking the spars of the other ships. It was labeled _Patton. _All of the vessels were labeled "UNSC" with a bird clutching a planet in its talons with stars surrounding it. "Whose ships are those? What is the UNSC?" Anakin asked Pelleaon.

"I don't know sir, we don't have any record of ships of these type." Pelleaon replied, confused.

"Sound general quarters, get the weapons systems ready to fire in case things get hot. Get me communications with that lead ship!" Anakin ordered, pacing towards the screen.

"Sir, unknown vessel is already hailing." The communications officer replied.

"Patch them through." The holographic screen lit up and a young man looked at them in slight surprise. "Who are you, what have you done with my Padawan?" Anakin demanded.

"Are you from the Republic?" the man asked, glancing at something off camera.

"Yes, now where is my Padawan?!" Anakin demanded again, growing agitated.

"Padawan? We know of no Padawan. Are you referring to Commander Ashoka Tano?" the man asked, confused.

"Off course I am, she's a Jedi!" Anakin replied, losing his patience.

"Jedi, what is a Jedi?" the man in turn asked again, very confused.

"How can you not have heard of the Jedi, we've been keeping peace for thousands of years!"

"We just learned of your existence after my meeting with your 'Padawan.'" The man replied, still confused.

"Impossible! Who are you people anyway?" Anakin asked.

"We're soldiers of the United Nations Space Command, defenders of the United Earth Government." The man answered with no small amount of pride.

"Did you attack our cruiser?" Pellaon asked, trying to refocus the conversation.

"Negative, we found the cruiser as it sits. Now that you are here, what are your intentions?

"I want to get my padawan and any other crewmen you recovered back."

"Then you will leave?" the man asked, skeptical.

"If you give them back, yes."

"Very well, you may send one transport to collect them, they are onboard my ship." Following the captain's reply, Anakin tested his truth in the Force, and found the man a grey void, lacking all but the conformation that he was indeed a living being. _No Force signature, what are these people?_

"As you wish, a single transport is being readied as I speak, try anything funny and we will retaliate." Anakin threatened, unable to fully trust the captain's words.

"So will we, _Patton _out."

_A/N: I hate these things, but I feel the need to explain something. I'm sorry if this chapter seems off, but after not posting in a while I wanted to make sure the story continued. Please feel free to applaud, critique, or condemn this chapter as you wish. I am not eloquent on these kinds of encounters and if it seems like a matter is suddenly dropped it is because both sides have faced a rush of shocking revelations. I will address any issues in this chapter and will follow suggestions if I feel them relevant to the plot in due time. Any first readers know I'm good about this, but this chapter may remain like this for awhile. Do not let it dissuade you, there is more to come that is hopefully better than this. Life is very hectic and again I wanted all those waiting to see how the "Redemption Incident" concludes. Things will pick up from here and I will try to get chapters out soon. My priority right now is to not leave my readers hanging for months because of my busy life. Quality may drop slightly, but it WILL be addressed once I get a breather. Thank you for reading and I hope you will stay with me on this adventure- Arm Chair General _


	6. Chapter 6

**Galactic Senate**

**Courscant**

**Andromeda Galaxy**

**3 Months Later**

**1:23 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Senator Amidala walked out of the Galactic Senate Chamber in a rush. It had been three months since the United Earth Government had been found and the Senate had finally agreed to send an envoy, her. No doubt the Confederacy had already sent their ambassador to the UEG and were already trying to win over the previously unknown human civilization to their cause. As Amidala all but ran to her airspeeder, her guards easily kept pace. Suddenly, her communicator rang. Grabbing the device she pushed a button and held it to her ear. "Amidala."

"Senator, this is Skywalker." Anakin's voice made her heart flutter, her secret husband's words comforting. He had survived the war so far.

"How can I help you Anakin?" Amidala asked, sticking to the formalities to avoid suspicion.

"I am just notifying you that Master Kenobi will not be able to join you on your mission to the United Earth Government." Amidala had gotten the message from the Temple as she had settled her stand back into its slot in the Senate Chamber after the request by herself and the Senate for him to accompany her. Anakin was just using this as an excuse to talk to her.

"I see, thank you Anakin, I will plan accordingly."

"That is all, may the Force be with you." _Stay safe, come home._

"And with you." _You too._

_**Punworcca**_** 116-class Interstellar Sloop**

**Kohlma High Orbit**

**Andromeda Galaxy**

**14:12 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Count Dooku, otherwise count as Darth Tyrannus, settled into his seat and answered his master's call. The cloaked figure of his master, Lord Sidious, flashed into being. "What is thy bidding my master?" Dooku asked, bowing his head in respect.

"You are aware that the Republic has made contact with a human civilization deep in Wild Space?" his master asked. Dooku had been aware, his spies in the Senate had notified of an emergency meeting to figure out what to do about this "United Earth Government."

"Yes master, my informants have notified me, am I to make diplomatic contact?" Dooku was inferring that his master would want these people on the Confederacy's side, their destruction of a raiding force of Trandoshans and the rescue of a Jedi had put them in great favor in the eyes of Republic citizens, yet the UEG's ignorance to both sides of the war was shocking.

"Yes my apprentice, you are to do so, sway them to our cause or threaten them with force. We cannot have them side with the Republic, their involvement will bolster the Republic's thinly stretched army."

"It shall be done, I shall not fail you." Dooku replied, bowing.

"See that you don't, the coordinates have been sent to you." The hologram disappeared as his master cut the connection. Dooku thumbed an intercom to the pilot droid.

"Set our course for the coordinates, best speed. We have to beat the Republic's emissary."

"Yes sir." The droid replied and extended the solar sails. The sloop began moving, getting to a safe distance before jumping to hyperspace.

**UNSC Space Station **_**Geneva**_

**UEG Border**

**Milky Way Galaxy**

**One Day Later**

**13:12 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Ambassador Arnold Sampson dabbed his head with a handkerchief as the Confederate emissary's ship eased into the hangar. The strange ship had jumped into the same spot as the "_Redemption _Incident" claiming to be an envoy from the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the collection of planets currently at war with the Galactic Republic. After being ordered to jump 1500 meters off the station's port side, it traveled under the guns of the prowling frigates and the battleship _Macbeth_ to the station's hangar. The station had been built as a place where the UEG could meet with the United Houses of Sanghelios without either side having to make an arduous journey to their respective home worlds, thus prompting a UNSC naval presence encase of attack. It was also Sampson's home away from home when he wasn't visiting the Sangheli. As the ship settled on its three landing struts the Marine honor guard, in their dress uniforms, formed at either side of the ambassador, their rifles accented with artificial wood. A ramp lowered from the vessel and a man in long robes walked calmly down, flanked by two bipedal robots carrying strange, small guns. The honor guard began to sweat beneath their uniforms as Sampson stepped forward, offering a polite hand. "I am Ambassador Sampson, representative of the United Earth Government." The man looked at the ambassador's hand before grasping it lightly and shaking it.

"Lord Tyrannus." The white haired, bearded man replied in kind.

"If you would follow me, we have much to discuss." Sampson pointed the way with his arm and Tyrannus walked briskly, his two robots following. The marines flanked Sampson as the pair made their way to the board room.

**Republic Diplomatic Frigate **_**Diplomacy**_

**300 meters from UNSC Space Station**

**13:24 Standard UNSC Military Time **

Padme Amidala watched as the fields of stars gave way to a massive space station. It was a long, wide tube that had multiple circular sections surrounding it. As it rotated the name _Geneva _was seen in the same Basic that all UEG vessels displayed. Four of the UNSC frigates were visible, standing off from the station in a square formation. Docked to the station was a massive vessel Padme hadn't seen before. It was easily double the length of an assault ship and was painted the same utilitarian grey that all UNSC vessels flaunted. Its large side cannons tracked their approach, as did the two frigates closest to her ship.

"Senator, we are being hailed by the station." The communications officer reported. He was a clone like the rest of those who operated the small vessel. The view screen lit up and a graying man glared at them.

"State your business here!" he ordered, voice full of authority.

"We are the Republic's diplomatic envoy, here to meet with their ambassador." Padme replied, not intimidated.

"I see, the Separatists ambassador is already here. You may land a single shuttle in the hangar bay. Two guards may accompany you if you wish. Any attempts to harm or impede the other envoy will be met with your swift removal from this station where you will be escorted out of the system. Any attempts you make to return will be viewed as a threat and met with deadly force. Do I make myself clear?" Padme was taken aback by the hostility but regained her composure.

"No, we understand thank you." Padme replied.

"Then you may land at you leisure, that is all." The call ended and the screen went dark. _What a rude man, and the Separatists are already here!_

"Please prepare a shuttle, I wish to leave at once." Padme half ordered as she went to secure her documents.

"Right away senator." The frigate's captain replied as Padme left the bridge. _I just hope I have time to sway them to our side; the Republic can't afford any enemies._

**Meeting Room**

**UNSC Space Station **_**Geneva**_

**20 Minutes Later**

**13:44 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Sampson rubbed his head in frustration as the two envoys went into yet another argument. Both had equally sharp tongues and while he was impressed with their debating skills and the hatred they showed for one another, the meeting was getting nowhere. "The Republic can provide extensive trade opportunities for businesses, and its army can protect your worlds." Padme pitched as Tyrannus broke into a grin.

"I do not believe these people need military support, but if they did the Droid Army is more than superior. The Banking Clan has more monetary wealth and will pay top dollar for your goods, of that I can assure you." Tyrannus shot back, a smug grin on his face.

"Enough! My government does not care about whose side is better; the UEG will remain neutral in this conflict. We will trade equally with both and our ships are not to be targeted by merchant raiders." Sampson interjected, patience evaporated.

"But the CIS is a great threat to your people. They are corrupt, unjust!" Padme announced, gesturing to Tyrannus.

"The only corrupt government is the Senate my dear," Tyrannus accused. "They'll turn on your people in an instant if it can further their careers and line their pockets."

"Did you not hear what I said?! The UEG will remain a neutral party; you either accept our terms or leave us alone. We have no desire to ally with either the Republic or the Confederacy, nor do we desire being a trade partner if you do not accept our terms. We were just fine before we knew you existed. Now again, we will conduct equal trade with both sides, our ships are to have diplomatic immunity and not be considered enemy shipping, embassies will be established on both capital worlds, and any attack on our ships will be viewed as a declaration of war! Are these terms acceptable?" Sampson practically shouted, gesturing to the paper in front of him.

"The Senate will have to vote on it, but I believe so." Padme replied, taking the copy Sampson offered. The UEG president had already signed it.

"I can sign it now ambassador, my government has given me the authority." Tyrannus lied as he signed his name with a flourish.

"Excellent, we shall wait for the Republic's reply and begin work to establish an embassy as well as shipping offices on the seven worlds you wish to accept goods from the Milky Way. Now then, I shall see you out."

**UNSC Research and Development Ship **_**Trial and Error**_** (RDS-2)**

**Deep Space **

**400 Light Years from Reach**

**15:02 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Doctor Arnold Buscott rubbed his eyes as he typed in one final code. The screen lit up green and warm up status appeared, a black bar the gradually filled from left to right.

"Tesla, status?" Buscott asked, stretching from his terminal. He and his fellow scientists had been working on project AEGIS nonstop for the past three months. Using captured Forerunner and Covenant technology in addition to a sample ship donated by the Sangheli, they were attempting to outfit UNSC vessels with something they had been longing for since the first contact with the Covenant, shielding. During the Human-Covenant War, attempts had been made to replicate Covenant shielding on human vessels. Project AEGIS had been in off and on commencement since the war began, but as more worlds fell and an accident caused the complete particle disintegration, destroying the frigate _Hypothesis_ with all her crew and researchers, the project was shutdown in an effort to focus on the SPARTAN program and other successful weapons projects. At war's end, there was a debate whether to reactivate AEGIS, but the long and tedious process of terraforming the worlds burned by plasma again spelled doom for the project. It wasn't until the discovery of alien life in the Andromeda galaxy and the _Redemption _incident that AEGIS was finally given the green light. Now, they were ready to test the generators, focus arrays, and holding systems to see if shielding was as practical for the UNSC as it was for the Covenant.

"Generators running at optimum capacity, shields ready to begin charging." Tesla replied, his light blue form appearing on his pedestal.

"Light it." Buscott ordered. A crackling enveloped the ship and the hairs of Buscott's arm stood up. An alarm sounding that the shields had reached two percent sounded before shutting off as the level rose.

"50 percent, 60 percent, 85 percent, 97 percent, fully charged." Tesla reported as he monitored the ship's systems.

"Test automatic recharge." Buscott ordered. There was a snap as a high yield EMP mine exploded from the frigate _Ulysses_. There was a snap as the shields dissipated; the hardening of the wires prevented the loss of total power. The alarm sounded again, but then faded as before.

"Shields recharging at constant rate, no power surges or loss of coverage. Shields fully charged." Tesla reported.

"Again." Buscott ordered and another EMP was deployed and detonated. There was no cracking noise, but once more the warning alarm sounded before fading. Buscott was giddy with excitement. _ We did it!_

"Recharge rate constant, coverage complete, power output consistent, shields fully charged." Tesla slated again. A cheer sounded from the engineers and researchers and Buscott found himself joining in. AEGIS was a success; the UNSC had shielding that could rival any other race. As the celebration commenced and champagne began to flow, the newest breakthrough in human science had arrived just in time for the UNSC to once again return to the battlefield. The powder had been laid, the fuse primed, and all it would take was a single spark. War was imminent.


	7. Chapter 7

**Cruise Ship **_**Carnival**_

**Coreilla Space Port**

**1 Month Later**

**13:03 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Captain Maria Bougart entered the bridge, arms clasped calmly behind her back. She had been with the Solar Sails Cruises for 2 years and knew the routine by heart. "Have the last of the passengers been brought onboard?"

"Yes captain, we are set to close docking bays." First Mate Tim Taylor replied, checking the reports from the greeters.

"Excellent, let's get set to put her out among the stars."

"Ma'am, we got activity on the dock!" Navigator Officer Lauren Sleinhart shouted, pointing out the view screen. Bougart stepped up to the screen and looked out. Masked men were charging towards the ship, weapons drawn. The security officers halted them but they were quickly gunned down.

"Seal the ship now!" Bougart ordered and the docking bay doors began to close. Watching through the security camera she saw one of the greeters get shot in the face, crumpling to the deck. Dozens of the attackers raced onboard the ship before the doors sealed, blocking the rest. "Hit the distress beacon, get the armory open!" Taylor quickly pounded out the commands on his terminal. A small slot in the wall opened, dispensing three M6G pistols and a Remington 6650 Police Shotgun. "Secure the bridge, wipe the navigation records, and get me a link with the security teams!"

**Security Booth 12**

**Cruise Ship **_**Much Ado About Nothing**_

**13:11 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Officer Chuck Sanders ducked behind the wall of his booth as more lasers soared over head. Hundreds of guests were dead, their bodies littered on the ground. Others had been beaten unconscious and were who know where. The ship had become a death trap, and the battered remnants of the security team were all that stood between the surviving guests and untimely death. Sanders popped up from behind cover and fired more shots at the intruders. One fell, blood spurting from his chest. The others immediately opened fire and he ducked back down. A beep sounded and the armory slot opened up in the booth, an arm holding out a CA-5 rifle. _Thank the Lord!_ He crawled to it and slotted a magazine into the well. Racking the bolt, he turned to see a masked attacker whip around the corner. Sanders pumped the trigger, the semi-automatic rifle, kicking into his chest. A round caught the top of the attacker's head, blowing it off a spew of gore. The corpse fell, brain matter oozing onto the tile floor. _Oh my god!_ More gunfire sounded from down the hall and the masked men retreated, returning fire with their laser rifles and pistols. Four security officers charged down the hall. One was struck in the chest and fell. As the attackers retreated the other officers raced to the booth. "Christ Chuck, aren't you a sight for sore eyes!" one of the officers, Sergeant Jerry Rowe, helped to his feet.

"Thanks, what's going on?" Sanders asked, glancing at the dead passengers.

"Bastards charged us, most of the security team is dead, we're all that's left." Rowe replied, cradling his shotgun.

"And we will be too if we don't open those doors!" a young officer announced. He was a new guy, and his tag read Yuckers.

"We can't, only the bridge can open them!" Rowe said, pointing towards the area.

"Then we gotta ge-." Yuckers was cut off as his head exploded. Blood splattered the remaining officers and Sanders dove back in his booth. Popping over the edge he saw a dozen masked men charging towards them, weapons spewing deadly red bolts. Rowe ducked behind a pillar, firing a shell at the mob. One staggered and fell, pellets tearing into his leg and groin. The officer who had remained quiet reeled back as he was stabbed in the gut. Sanders emptied his magazine and the knife wielding enemy fell. Rowe ducked around his pillar again and was riddled with lasers. His blackened corpse slid down the pillar, crumpling to the floor. Sanders popped up again, only for his rifle to click empty. He ducked back down and saw a spherical device bounce off the booth's back wall and clatter to the floor. It began beeping rapidly.

"Oh shi-." A flash, and then nothing.

**Bridge**

**Cruise Ship **_**Much Ado About Nothing**_

**13:21 Standard UNSC Military Time**

"I can't raise the security teams!" Communications Officer Melinda Hurgert announced, panic seeping into her voice.

"All the security cameras show is blood and bodies!" Taylor reported, horrified. "The terrorists are the only ones alive. Shit, the screen's gone dark, they must be jamming them. Suddenly, a hissing noise sounded from the bridge door.

"They're cutting through!" Melinda cried, ducking behind her station.

"Get ready!" Sanders ordered, readying her shotgun. The doors parted and blaster bolts filled the doorway. Tim was shot in the neck, releasing an arc of blood as his neck pivoted back. Lauren was splattered with blood and began screaming. Sanders fired a shell and pumped the slide. Melinda was wrapped in a ball, panicking. Lauren popped up from behind her console and emptied her pistol's magazine. Five terrorists fell when Sanders took a bolt in the gut. She was thrown backwards and landed with a cry. Lauren received a bolt to the face, half her head boiling away. The masked terrorists raced in and tied up Melinda and Sanders while putting a coup de grace into the two other dead crewmen. Both officers were thrown in a chair, hands and legs tied. Sanders could feel her blood seeping from the wound. Her uniform had a growing black stain and blood began to roll down her legs and into her boots. A terrorist with a red mask walked up to her and slapped her across the face.

"What is the access code to the controls?" he demanded, slapping her again.

"555-334-Go Fuck Yourself!" Sanders replied bitterly, spitting in his face. She received another slap and pulled out a vibroblade. The weapon hummed softly, shimmering slightly in the emergency lighting.

"Tell me or I start removing fingers!" the masked man threatened, waving the knife in front of her face.

"Ok, first, you –ugh- red lever, then you shove it up you're as-." She was cut off as her left hand went crashing to the floor. Sanders yelled in pain then gritted her teeth, panting heavily.

"You have five chances left, if I'm merciful."

"For fuck's sake tell him Sanders!" Melinda begged, being forced to watch. The red masked man spun around as if remembering Melinda.

"How about you, what are the codes?!"

"Don't tell them Melinda!"

"Tell me and you will live!"

"I didn't sign up for this Maria!" Melinda cried, finality in her voice.

"No, don't te-!" The masked man plunged the blade into her neck and she began to gurgle, world growing blacker and blacker.

"The access code is 'Trade Winds'." Melinda said, dejected. As Sander's life began to fade, she saw the mask man type the code in, nod in satisfaction, and slit Melinda's throat.

"Set a course for UEG Space, their data may be wiped, but we know where they are. Glory for the Republic awaits!"

**UNSC Destroyer **_**Patton **_**(DD-76)**

**Orbital Refueling Station **_**Banquet**_

**Harvest Orbit**

**Milky Way Galaxy**

**Five Days Later**

**7:43 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Captain Arthur Wheeler sipped his mug of coffee calmly as the crew began the refueling process. The coolant that kept the reactor from overheating had to be replaced after every four cruises to prevent possible meltdowns. In addition to coolant, the ship also refueled its fresh water tanks, fuel supply for the fighters, and food for the crew. This process was long, tedious, but safe. Thus, Wheeler had nothing to be concerned about except burning his tongue. Patton materialized on his podium and saluted.

"Coolant and water lines are secured, pumping process has begun," he reported, "Estimated time to completion, 55 minutes."

"Thank you Patton, inform me of any problems." Wheeler replied, taking another sip from his cup. It was a gift from his wife, with the UNSC Eagle emblazoned on it and the words "Love you, come home safe sailor!" written along the edge. _Damn do I miss her._

"Yes sir!" Patton confirmed, saluting crisply and fading from view. Wheeler watched as the carrier _New Mombasa _eased slowly to a refueling port, technicians already in EVA suits ready to attach lines. Suddenly, a slipspace portal opened and a cruise liner came rocketing out. _Huh, guess someone is in a hurry._ The ship slowed to a stop, turned and began heading in a new direction towards the station. The station's all ships frequency squawked once.

"_Cruise ship _Carnival_, please alter your course, this is a military refueling station and is closed to civilian vessels._" The ship did not reply and remained on course. "_I say again, change your course. _Carnival_ do you understand? We WILL fire on you, turn about now!"_ Patton materialized, frantic.

"Captain, that ship is on a direction collision course to the station!"

"Get this ship uncoupled now!" Wheeler ordered, thumbing the key on his chair

"_Destroyer _Patton_, fire a warning shot across their bow."_ The station's executive officer ordered.

Wheeler pressed the talk key. "Understood, we are getting unhooked now." The cruise ship suddenly accelerated. A frigate moved to cut off the large ship, deck guns aimed threateningly. The large civilian vessel slammed into the smaller warship, sending the frigate spiraling and venting atmosphere. _The fuck?!_ The Emergency Notification Channel blared it's siren, catching the attention of all onboard.

"_ALL SHIPS, BE ON ALERT FOR THE CRUISE SHIP _CARNIVAL. _SAID VESSEL HAS BEEN CAPTURED BY UNKNOWN ASSALIANTS ON COREILLA AS OF FIVE DAYS AGO. IF LOCATED, DESTROY IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT, DESTROY THE CRUISE SHIP _CARNIVAL!"

"_Belay that order Patton, all ships scatter! This is the station Banquet, rogue cruise ship is on collision course, need assistance!"_

"We're clear sir." Paton reported.

"Flank speed, get us clear and get the MAC ready to fire!"

"Aye sir, flank speed." Pruit echoed and the destroyer began to rumble forward. The station's point defense guns opened fire, the small cannons tearing into the unarmored hull of the _Carnival_. An Orbital Defense Platform began to rotate, trying to bring its Super MAC to bear on the _Carnival._

"Sir, firing solution achieved." Patton said, binoculars in his hand.

"Fire!" The destroyer shuddered and the round slammed into the ship. A large chunk of the upper decks was torn away. "Shit, it's not stopping." The _New Mombasa _was still docked to the ship, one of the lines tangled up with a RADAR dish.

"Impact in four!" Patton announced and began counting down. The _New Mombasa _sheared off its dish and surged away, its own guns firing over the station. "Three, two, one!" The flaming, damaged ship plowed into the station, slamming through its decks. The cruise ship bent and splintered amid ship before detonating, it's reactor critical. Debris slammed into the _Patton, _buckling plates. The fireball engulfed the station and the carrier, the energy wave slamming into the destroyer. The _Patton _lurched and Wheeler was thrown to the deck.

"Hull breach in sectors 5A, 7B, and all of E deck, sealing now!" Patton declared. The ship stabilized and Wheeler looked back at the station. A mass of twisted metal was all that remained, the cruise ship and station fusing in the heat. The forward half of the carrier was gone, and the remaining half was engulfed in flames. The frigate that had raced to assist had a gaping hole in its port side, bodies and atmosphere venting rapidly.

"Holy shit." Wheeler muttered as he stared at the destruction. Rescue ships raced to the scene, recovery vehicles hurrying to save those that were left. A fire fighting ship began spraying the now shortened _New Mombasa _before the carrier's reactor too went critical, obliterating itself and the fire ship.

"Sir, hull breach is contained, wounded is in the medical bay, orders?" Hafflax asked, ending the stunned silence on the bridge.

"Get us into position to assist the frigate and get Fernson on the horn, I want to let him know what happened so we can get the bastards who did this."

_A/N: Here I am again with one of these. This chapter was edited in response to the massive outcry about the details of this chapter. It was a failure in my part for not thoroughly explaining that the cruise ship was a civilian vessel, no more under the UNSC's control than Delta Airlines is under the U.S. Air Force's. The inclusion of the warning message was to help solidify the UNSC's ability to monitor its vessels and give due reason for the ships and platform to open fire. The cruise ship now travels slowly towards the refueling station to make it appear that it is a confused civilian vessel. On regards to how the ship was captured, it was charged and while some terrorists did make it in, most got locked out. As to why the UNSC would mourn the loss of a station and collection of ships less than the wartime losses of the Human-Covenant War, terrorism is a very real threat and the UEG will react like any nation that is attacked, wipe out the terrorists to prevent such an event from ever happening again. Innocent blood has been spilled, and for a people living in the wake of genocide who have cherished the lack of bloodshed, there can be no greater offense. In the end, this is my story, and despite it seeming to be a weak chapter, it is merely the first step in the long road ahead. I hope this didn't dissuade any readers, if you had wanted a different way for the UNSC to be brought to a war footing feel free to write your own story. As always, thank you to those who have put up with me so far and I hope the following chapters won't be as big a disappointment as this one seemed to be. –Arm Chair General _


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: Before this chapter begins, I would like to notify those who pointed out the many flaws of the previous chapter that it has been edited and I welcome you to read it again if you have not already. If you are new and have only seen the edited version, the reviews will tell you what was wrong if you are curious. Now then, onto Chapter 8! _

**Briefing Room**

**Presidential Residence**

**Former Country of Switzerland**

**Earth**

**Milky Way Galaxy**

**Six Days Later**

**10:21 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Admiral Richard Fernson glared into his coffee cup. He had been waiting in this room for over an hour as the rest of the admirals, generals, intelligence correspondents, and the president arrived. _Token of efficiency we are._ As the president, Charles Gandler, settled into his chair, he raised his hand apologetically. "Sorry ladies and gentlemen, my meeting with the Arbiter went longer than intended, let us begin." Director Harrison Smith nodded and powered on the glass display on the far wall.

"Mr. President, admirals and generals of the United Nations Space Command, as of six days ago one of our refueling stations was rammed by the hijacked cruise ship _Carnival_. The ship was reported hijacked eleven days ago by Coreillan Port Authorities." An image of the _Carnival _was projected on the screen, the large vessel painted white with red and yellow stripes traveling its length. "The ship jumped immediately and slipped through our satellite grid before it was reported. The loss of life is not entirely known but the current count is over 1,500. We were able to recover the _Carnival's_ black box," the image changed to that of a battered, bright orange box resting on the hangar deck of a warship. "The box recorded all conversations on the bridge up to the point of impact. All this information is on your pads." Fernson raised his hand.

"It says here that all recording devices were shutdown, how was the black box able to record?"

"The device is locked under a level 7 encryption similar to what we use for classified documents. Only ONI or The Bureau of Interstellar Safety can access the information. Also the files are under the title 'Pool Chlorine Stores.' The pools do not use Chlorine." Fernson grinned slightly.

"This is all well and good Director but who attacked us?" Lord Terrance Hood asked through his video link. The elderly man was in a medical bed, having suffered a heart attack.

"Allow me to play the necessary recording." The director pushed a button on his pad and the speakers crackled.

"-we know where they are. Glory to the Republic awaits! Doruma, power down the security systems, Morunston, get us away from the dock."

"Roger roger."

"Fool! Don't reply audibly until the recorders are off!"

"All security systems are down sir."

"Excellent, set a course to the UEG colony of Harvest, I shall contact General Grievous."

"As you can see, we have reasons to believe this attack was orchestrated by the Confederacy to frame the Republic." The Director replied confidently.

"But what if this is simply a ploy to frame the Confederacy instead?" the President Gandler asked, rubbing his chin. "If I'm going to declare war on somebody, I want to make sure it's the right person."

"That was our concern as well Mr. President, the black box also stored all video recordings up until the cameras were powered down. Thermal Imaging captured this image of one of the terrorists." The director clicked a button on his pad and the image appeared on screen. The clothing was a light yellow, a humanoid silhouette surrounding a red silhouette. The terrorist's flesh was thin, with definite disc joints and a triangular head. Two deep red dots on the face marked eyes, as did other patches on the body signify areas of great heat ventilation. "This image matches those of a Separatist battle droid, and the areas producing excessive heat correspond to the vents on the ones Lord Tyrannus used as body guards."

Fernson and the audience nodded their heads in realization. "You are certain that it was the CIS that attacked us?" President Gandler asked.

"Mr. President, my people do not deal in certainty, but we have reasonable suspicion." The Director replied. "Significant evidence points that this attack was an attempt by the Confederacy to frame the Republic so as to prompt us to go to war with them."

"How do we know this is not some rogue element in either side?" General Alexander Burnstone asked, scanning his pad with a doubtful eye.

"We don't, but the fact that CIS battle droids were used on a Confederate planet that made no moves to apprehend the terrorists that were left behind shows that some strings were pulled from the top. Look, I'm sure we can create a dozen different theories around this attack, but the evidence we have most strongly points to the Confederacy as the mastermind. I recommend that we remove our embassies from their worlds before another attack occurs. ONI is already monitoring other planets in the Confederacy where UEG lives are at risk. We know prisoners were taken at the docks, but we can't locate them. Coreillan authorities claim to have them in custody but are denying us the ability to interrogate them. That alone is setting off warning bells."

"Then it's settled I suppose, the UEG shall declare war on the Confederacy." Fernson said with finality.

"Hold on Admiral. Director, is it possible for us to send in a strike team to 'liberate' some of the prisoners?" President Gandler asked. A slight grin appeared on the Director's face.

"It is possible; I believe we have a Special Warfare Group stationed on a frigate close by."

"How special?" Burnstone asked, skeptical. The Director's grin broadened slightly, the most emotion the man had ever shown to those in the room.

"Spartans."

**UEG Embassy**

**Coreilla **

**Andromeda Galaxy**

**23:00 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Captain Donald-223 shifted in his seat. The diminutive fold out chair was not meant for the seven foot super soldier that occupied it. At the end of the Human-Covenant War, as the UNSC returned control over to the UEG, the details of the Spartan Program surfaced. Its citizens appalled, the UEG demanded the perpetrators be brought to justice. Heads began to roll and the Director and most of the upper levels were jailed for war crimes. As ONI restructured itself, the Spartans were given the choice to remain in the service or be honorably discharged. Most stayed, and the Spartan Corps became a branch under the Special Forces Command. As the years of peace continued, the remaining Spartans were discharged as the UNSC demobilized its vast army. Ten years ago, ONI asked the UEG Congress and the Military Heads of the UNSC for permission to reactivate the Spartan Program as an all volunteer force. After assurance that enrollment age would be that of the standard inductee to any UNSC branch, both powers gave their blessing. Applicants who fit the genetic, aptitude, and age restrictions were inducted at the age of 18. Taken straight to the rebuilt camp of the first Spartan training group on Reach, they began the four year training process that formed them into the legendary, lethal super soldiers. Now trained to operate in four man squads, each team was comprised of equally capable soldiers who were given specialized training in field medicine, sniping, leadership, and demolitions. Donald, as always, was the first in the briefing room. The next person to enter was Brian-203, their medic. His armor was the same digital grey as the rest of the squad, except he had a red cross on his helmet's forehead. The armor was the MJOLNIR Mark VII, similar in appearance to the older V and VI, but with a more powerful and compact reactor and stronger shields. Additional equipment could be bolted into the small of their back like cloaking devices, transmitters, and bubble shield generators. The last two Spartans, Laura-225 and Jack-216, entered right behind Brian. The rest of the squad wasn't late; Brian just preferred to be early so as to make sure the rest of the squad DID show up on time.

"Always the early riser huh Captain?" Brian quipped through the squad's private channel.

"Just making sure you remembered to brush your teeth Doc."

"My oral health is impeccable, the ladies love me." Brian shot back, a smug grin behind his polarized visor.

"I don't love you," Laura joked as the squad settled into their seats in the front row.

"That's because you're not a woman Laura," Brian replied. "What about you Chaplin, want some of my advice?"

Jack shook his head and text appeared on all their HUDs. "_**If I'm looking for another man I'll let you know."**_ The squad burst out laughing and Brian punched the mute's shoulder. Jack had suffered brain trauma when he had slammed into the ground during parachute training. He lost the ability to speak and the Navy techs couldn't rebuild that part of the brain. Brain cloning was advanced but certain parts just couldn't be reproduced perfectly. His speech would have been slurred and he would have struggled to form simple sentences. Jack decided that a life of eternal silence where he could use the advanced translators that turned thought into speech so he could convey complex sentences was better than speaking like a four year old. He also hated parachute drops.

"Okay, that was pretty good," Brian admitted. Donald grinned at his squad's antics, he knew they were excited. This would be their first real operation and they were itching to live up to the Spartan name. The door opened and a man in suit and glasses walked in, ONI pin on his jacket.

"I'm sorry to have kept you waiting Spartans, let us begin." The man powered on the holographic projector at the front of the room. A building appeared with armored shutters over the windows then zoomed out to reveal it was part of a large octagon shaped compound with turrets dotting its massive walls. "This is your target, the Coreillan Planetary Defense Headquarters, the main Confederacy base. You are to infiltrate this base and locate the prisoners taken during the terrorist attack on the _Carnival_." The image zoomed back into the building, going down to the basement level. "This is the brig, located four stories below the ground floor. In these cells are the captured terrorists. You are to liberate these prisoners so they can be interrogated." Donald raised his hand.

"What species are we dealing with?" It was an honest question. The sheer amount of alien life within the Andromeda Galaxy was staggering, and the UNSC was hard pressed to document on how best to kill each race.

"We have reason to believe that the prisoners are battle droids. The units are being kept for show encase we come looking. Not that they let us."

"Seems unusual, why keep them around when they can just wipe them clean?" Laura pointed out.

"Indeed, that s why you are to also gather all communications data and operational files. For that, we are giving you the Smart A.I. Paperclip." The aforementioned A.I. suddenly appeared in the hologram, a dark green paperclip that looked at them through the walls of the structure.

"Greetings, I am Paperclip, with whom would you like me to accompany?" The A.I.'s body flashed as he spoke, lighting up with each syllable. Paperclip's voice was monotonic, conveying no emotion. Jack raised his hand and text appeared on the hologram.

"_**With me."**_

"Very well, transferring to memory card." The A.I. disappeared and a small chip extended from the port. The ONI agent grabbed it and held it up.

"You will insert Paperclip into their system, where he will copy and store all their data for analysis. You Spartans will be inserted by Warthog as the ambassador visits the commander in charge of the base to ask what steps have been taken to improve security at the dock. You will enter the base cloaked and sneak inside. If confronted, nonlethal techniques are to be used against organic personnel. Droids can be destroyed. You will have one hour at the most to complete your mission. Signal the ambassador when you are ready to leave. Inversely, he will signal you if he is cut short. Get it done Spartans, dismissed."


	9. Chapter 9

**Coreillan Planetary Defense Headquarters**

**Coreilla**

**21:21 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Jack shifted in his seat, adjusting the silenced M7 that he held tight against his chest. He and his fellow Spartans were crammed inside the back of a civilianized Warthog, the carbon fiber shell a front for the layer of shielding that blocked sensors.

"Remind me why I didn't pick shotgun?" Brian asked as he tried to get his long legs into a comfortable position.

"It's too cramped in hear for me to listen to you run your mouth Brian. Maintain operational silence." Donald ordered as he shifted his head to one side to reduce the strain on his neck. The Warthog suddenly lurched to a stop.

"_We've arrived Pathfinder, stand by for go."_ The Warthog driver's voice crackled over the squad's channel, sounding tinny. The minutes ticked by as the super soldiers heard the muffled conversation between the ambassador and the commanding officer.

"I'm sorry its such short notice Lord General, but our leaders are breathing down my neck to get this resolved." Ambassador Crawford's voice filtered through the shell.

"It's no problem, anything to assist our trade partners with that dastardly attack." The Lord General replied. "Shall we?"

"Yes, please." The two continued talking, exchanging formalities as their voices faded away, as they walked into the building.

"_Camo on Spartans, you're green to go. Commence operation._

"About damn time," Brian muttered as he and his weapons suddenly disappeared, replaced by a slight wavering in the air. The rest of the Spartans followed suit, disappearing from view. Jack unbolted the bottom panel of the Warthog. He slowly lifted it and rested it against the side wall. The paved ground greeted them ad Jack slowly slid himself out and beneath the vehicle. Brian, Laura, and Donald followed, and the four super soldiers crawled under the 'Hog. Donald replaced the panel and blinked his confirmation light. Three other lights flashed in response on his HUD. "Move out." The squad slowly crawled out from beneath the vehicle and stood. The main entrance was directly in front of them. The ambassador's motorcade was lined up to their left and right. Multiple airspeeders were parked along the curb in front of the main entrance. "Follow along the speeders; we'll go along the side entrance." Three green lights blinked. The Spartans slowly snuck along the craft, keeping behind them as much as possible. They rounded the corner and were met with two battle droids guarding the entrance. "Let's find a way past them." Donald ordered.

"_**Wait sir, I have an idea.**_" Jack's text appeared on the screen. Donald watch as a decorative rock from the planter suddenly floated in the air and was then catapulted into a delivery speeder that was parked down the side alley. It struck with a resounding bang and the two skinny droid turned.

"What was that?" one asked, turning to its companion.

"We'd better check it out." The other responded and the pair began to walk away in sync, their feet clunking against the paved row.

"Great job, let's move." Donald praised. Jack pulled Paperclip's chip from the slot in his helmet and held it against the doors panel. The light on it changed from red to green and it slid open. The four entered swiftly and the door locked behind them. "Alright, to the command center, let's go!"

**Chancellor's Office**

**Senate District**

**Courscant**

**16:30 Courscant Time**

Chancellor Palpatine eased back in his seat and brought his hands together to form a pyramid before resting them against his lower lip.

"So your attempts at trying to persuade the United Earth Government have failed Senator?" he asked politely, his voice calm and reassuring.

"Yes Chancellor, they are steadfast in remaining neutral. They have kept their word and have constructed embassies on Naboo and here on Courscant. Their merchant ships have begun delivering their goods and Naboo has had an influx in vacationers. The queen is most pleased." Padme Amidala replied.

"But?" Palpatine prodded with a slight smile on his face, amused by the Senator's admittance of failure. Amidala was one of his strongest opponents in any act of war proposed to the Senate, and watching his rival admit defeat was enjoyable. He quickly put back on his gentle mask, the look of caring concern and fatherly tenderness that his political presence was known for. His true side, as a Sith Lord, was far different.

"But, they will not provide any military aid, nor will they do the same for the CIS." Padme finished, a little downcast.

"Have you heard of the tragedy that happened on Coreilla?" Palpatine asked, showing the appropriate amount of sorrow.

Padme's face darkened. "Yes, everyone has, it is all over the Holonet. The UNSC is investigating it, why do you ask?"

"I ask because it may have been the Separatists that attacked that vessel and killed those people." Palpatine explained, though he knew the real culprits. He had orchestrated the attack himself.

"What proof do you have?" Amidala asked, suspicion leaking into her voice. "Are you suggesting I blame the Confederacy at my next meeting with Ambassador Sampson?"

"No, no, no. At least, not until we have proof. But until then, just keep trying to push him in the right direction."

"Do we really need them on our side, surely their neutrality is enough?" Amidala asked.

"We need allies Senator, our armies are spread thin. If this war goes on any longer we won't have enough men to fight with. If we can get the UEG on our side then we can end this war quickly. I hope you understand just how dire of a situation we are in. We CAN win this war, we just need help."

"I'll do my best Chancellor, good day." Amidala stood and left, shoulders sagging a little. Palpatine let a grin show on his face as he watched her leave. All was going according to plan, all that was left to do now was wait and plan for the glorious future that awaited.

**Command Center**

**Coreillan Planetary Defense Headquarters**

**Coreilla**

**21:54 Standard UNSC Military Time**

Jack lowered himself down slowly from the vent and landed without a sound, a tough feat in the half ton armor he was wearing. The command staff, which consisted of droids and one Coreillan overseer, was unaware of his presence. _"There is an appropriate slot on that terminal to your left."_ Paperclip pointed out, his monotone voice flowing out of the speakers in Jack's helmet. An arrow appeared on Jack's HUD, pointing to an unused terminal.

_**Got it.**_ Jack slowly crept to the empty terminal, removed Paperclip's card and inserted it into the machine. It whirred to life, yet the rest of the staff was so focused they didn't notice.

"_Jack, status?"_ Donald asked. The squad had split up, Brian, Laura, and Donald heading to the cells while Jack inserted Paperclip into the mainframe.

"_**Paperclip is in, he's working now."**_

"_Good, we're almost at the cell block, keep me posted. Donald out."_

"_**Understood."**_ Jack watched the staff go about their business nervously as Paperclip infiltrated the network.

"_Files located, copying now." Paperclip reported a status bar appearing on Jack's HUD. It began to fill rapidly. "Hrm, this is interesting, there is additional orders regarding the cleanup of the dock. Accessing now." _The status bar filled Jack sighed with relief.

"_**Let's get outta here Paper-." **_Jack's thoughts were cut off as an alarm suddenly blared.

"Something just tried to open a secure file, it came from Terminal 22!" A droid reported. Two of their Super Battle Droids who had been guarding the door surged towards the terminal.

"_**Paperclip, what did you do?!"**_

_Unknown, I did not trigger any __**alarms**__. Wait, that's not right, these aren't Separatist coding files. They appear to be-."_ Paperclip was silenced as the Jack yanked the A.I. from the terminal.

"_**No time, we gotta move." **_Jack ducked under the droid and ran for the exit. He slammed into the overseer who went flying. The SBDs turned as Jack shimmered briefly as the camouflage cells reacted to the impact and tried to blend with the Coreillan. A partial image of the Coreillan appeared in midair and the two guards immediately opened fire.

"He's cloaked, blast him!" The overseer coughed as he picked himself up. Jack's active camouflage failed as lasers impacted his shields. Jack spun and hosed the lead SBD with his silenced SMG. Bullets pocketed the armor and the droid staggered back. Jack ran to the door as his radio crackled.

"_Jack, what the hell is going on?! Guards are running all over the place!"_

_**Paperclip tripped an alarm; I'm engaging enemy battle droids."**_

"_Damn it, we're coming to you, tell the ambassador we have to abort now!"_

"_**Affirmative."**_ The radio clicked off as Jack charged down the hallway at top speed, knocking droids and staff aside. He activated the emergency link with the ambassador's pad. _**Emergency meeting at embassy, get to your motorcade now for transport.**_ As Jack sided around a corner he was greeted with three shielded Droidekas blocking his path. He spun around and the droids opened fire.


End file.
